Insufficient database hinders youth advancement: lawmaker
The absence of an accurate database is the primary barrier towards undertaking any initiative for youths in Bangladesh which could possess led to the subsequent reaping of the expected demographic dividend, said one of the country's youngest lawmakers yesterday.
"The lack of database on youth may be the important obstacle and weakness towards undertaking all plan regarding youth production," explained the parliament member, Nahim Razzaq.
He raised this issue while addressing a webinar on "Development of young population: point of view FY2020-21 budget implementation" jointly organised by ActionAid Bangladesh and the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (Sanem).
"How can you really set a aim for group without proper facts," asked Razzaq, adding that institutional restructuring was as well necessary for ensuring need-based education.
An associate of the parliamentary standing committee on the overseas affairs ministry, he also set emphasis on budgetary allocation for little entrepreneurs in order that they could deal with the impacts of Covid-19.
The language barrier can be one of the key problems for youth and too little this communications skill was rendering them not capable of competing with other folks, he further said.
Though budgetary allocations are being designed for youth development, there is no monitoring on how it was being spent, said Razzaq.
Medical sector's infrastructure is quite weak and the federal government gave priority to it in the proposed budget, said Atiur Rahman, former governor of Bangladesh Bank.
There are inefficiencies in utilisation of the cover medical sector and it ought to be addressed for medical sector's development, said Rahman, as well a professor of the Department of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka.
Relating to a budgetary allocation designed for small and channel enterprises, he explained the small and micro entrepreneurs haven't any usage of formal finance therefore the central bank may take up an initiative to protect them.
Regarding execution of the budget for youth, he explained the ministry of youth and sports activities could build a monitoring cell to oversee it. Training ought to be supplied to youths seeking to become entrepreneurs later on, said Rahman.
Hussain Elius, ceo of ridesharing entity Pathao, demanded policy support from the federal government for companies like his.
At least four lakh drivers are involved with ridesharing companies and their job and livelihood depended on ridesharing, he said.
He alleged that the government had not been allowing the resumption of ridesharing found in the city on wellbeing safety grounds though mass transportation had again been made available.
He even more said the around 1,000 startups created in the past a decade with around $200 million found in investments were in trouble for the pandemic.
The government should have given emphasis on youth entrepreneurship in the budget, said Mahtab Uddin, a research fellow of Sanem. The allocation Bangladesh designed for the wellbeing sector may be the lowest among least designed countries, he said.
The budget must have focused on individual resource development instead of business for inclusive growth, said Nazmul Ahsan, manager-young people, ActionAid Bangladesh.
"If we can not create domestic demand, the market won't rebound," he said.
Vocational and technical education is not market oriented and the curriculum must be made up-to-date, he said.
Covid-19 has brought in regards to a new world order that ought to be accepted to survive the changing situations, said Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, while chairing the event.
She urged the federal government to incorporate enough initiatives in the spending plan to address the needs of the youth, at least for a brief period.
"The youth happen to be in uncertainty because of Covid-19 because they are frustrated over their potential. We must utilise the talent and innovation of the youth," she said.
Selim Raihan, executive director of Sanem, suggested considering occupation generation initiatives in the spending plan concentrating on the young population.
The government increased allocation for medical sector in the budget and there is scope to raise the budget for medical service system further, he said.
A long-term plan ought to be undertaken to reap demographic dividend, said Raihan, also a professor of the Division of Economics at the University of Dhaka.
Some 37 million students have been affected due to the nationwide closure of educational institutions since March 17, said Eshrat Sharmin, a research associate of Sanem, through a presentation.
Hardly any institutions and students get access to distance learning tools which means this is a hiccup to ensuring education, she said.
Sayema Haque Bidisha, exploration director of Sanem and an economics professor of the University of Dhaka, moderated the function which included youth representatives.
